Continuing to build resilience while keeping rate increases affordable is the firm direction from Wairoa District Council’s elected members.

Council has been working hard behind the scenes and is on track to significantly reduce the forecasted average rates figure.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said the Council expects to adopt the Annual Plan and set the rates at its next Council meeting.

“We are committed to keeping the increase as low as we can while not reducing the levels of service we currently deliver.

“I am confident our average increase will be a single digit, not the 15.5% we forecasted in the 2024-27 annual plan. At the time of setting the forecast figure, it was based on the latest information around the costs ahead of us and was off the back of two flood events and spiralling costs.

“Now, because we have worked hard to obtain government funding, we have been able to reduce our original forecast.

“Cost savings have been driven in large by securing external flood-related recovery funding, for which we are grateful to the government.

“I acknowledge no one ever wants any cost increase, but it is great to be on track to a significantly lower increase than we had expected. I look forward to confirming the final average rates increase figure at our next Council meeting.”

8 May 2025

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